With the holidays coming up, you will probably be taking a lot of photos of family and friends. Today, we will discuss the preparations you can take to ensure that you capture those precious, fun, loving, and candid memories that can be shared for many years to come.

When you think of the holidays coming up, do you cringe at the thought of all of the preparations that will need to be taken care of, or are you ready to hit the ground running to be able to enjoy the time of togetherness? More than likely, you are making lists of things that need to be completed, purchased, decorated, or even moved. Before the holidays arrive, make sure that you have prepared your capturing devices. Make sure that you have new or freshly charged batteries. It may be that you need to purchase new memory cards for you digital cameras, whether they are camcorders or still photography cameras. If you are using film based cameras, make sure you have extra film on hand and tapes for recording. Also, it’s a good idea to pull out the manual that you never quite got around to reading and spend some time experimenting with the features. At the very least, make sure you know how to use the timer and how to turn on the flash.

You have huge advantages when your family is your subject: access and familiarity. If your family is accustomed to seeing you with a camera in hand, then you are ahead of the game. They will probably ignore you, and that’s a good thing. As a result, you will be able to capture photos of your loved ones just being themselves.  You can get the best pictures when people are preparing dinner, gift wrapping, chatting, and setting the tables. There are many holiday events in which you and your family will be participating in, and these make for great memories to be seen from now on. Be ready to capture even if you are not planning on capturing. Try to keep the camera at hand, because you never know when great moments are going to happen.  You have already missed the moment by the time you say, “Hold on! Let me get the camera.”

Whether you are after a great family portrait in front of your beautifully decorated tree or just capturing the essence of the holidays through candid snapshots, we have compiled a set of tips that will help you master the art of capturing picture-perfect shots.

• Choose a couple of family members who are good with a camera and put them in charge of taking as many photos as possible. I do realize that that this post is about you capturing the moments. However, it is a good idea to ask multiple people to help so that you can participate in the togetherness and activities. It also helps to get different points of view.

 

• Pick a spot or two throughout the places that you will be having the events that will be safe and secure to set up a tripod. This will be a place to set up the camera(s) to record the activities of that room without standing behind it. Remember to check on it from time to time. If you have a remote for your camera, you could randomly hit the capture button. If it has a time lapse mode (taking pictures on a set timer), set it, and let it work. Picking a spot will give two advantages. First and foremost, it will be a place to keep everything together in one place as to not get lost, kind of a home base for the camera(s). Secondly, in the event that charging needs to be done, you know where all of the chargers are.

 

• Also, when you are capturing the moments of children, don’t just stand there. Get down to their level for the best images. With supervision, why not hand the camera to them, and let them show you what they see.

 

• Use props for your holiday guests to use in silly family photos. Put out some silly hats, glasses, large empty picture frames, and have your loved ones hold them up in silly ways to get some candid captures.

 

• The holidays are often the only time the entire family is gathered together, making it a prime opportunity for capturing a full-family portrait. When setting up group photos, choose a location where you can arrange family members in a pleasant way and get everyone close together. Arrange members at different heights so you don’t just have a family line-up — faces should fill most of the frame. To create a perfect indoor shot, pull the couch a few feet from the wall, which will prevent a flash casting harsh, dark shadows. Then you can also have people stand behind the couch as well as sit in front of it, so you have three tiers of faces. Consider switching up the traditional adult-above-children arrangement by having some adults sitting on the floor and some children standing on boxes. Don’t try to perfect every aspect — you’ll never get every cowlick tamed and shirt tucked. They’re you’re lovable, imperfect family, after all, and to truly capture their essence, let them be themselves. To ensure you don’t get a family of red-eyed demons, ask your family to look anywhere but straight at the camera lens.

 

• For small groups or solos, remember that the eyes and mouth are the most important features to capture. You’ll want to be at eye-level for a close, intimate feeling. Decide how much of your child you want in the picture, then frame him so you’re not cutting off his body exactly at the waist, shoulders, or knees. Just as you don’t want to have your child’s face dead center, his body shouldn’t be facing the camera straight on. Instead, turn him about a quarter-turn away from you and have him look back at you. For a more connected result, make eye contact with your child before you click the shutter. For a timeless look, consider using black and white for portraits.

 

Putting in the extra effort to capture the moment with your family now will pay off in the end.

Set up a way for past years moments to be watched. Our family loves to watch them! If you need help doing this, check out

Watching and Sharing Your Home Movies

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Finally, be sure not to be greedy with all of those moments that you have captured. Set aside some time to copy them to your computer, make disks to give out, and ask for trades from others that were there.

So, be prepared with all of you devices, batteries, flashes, memory cards, films, and tapes. Refresh your memory of how the device works. Make a list of specific pictures and portraits that you would like to take and have your family help you get them. Don’t just look for posed moments, but also, be sure to get candid shots that take place. Capture the preparation of the food, casual gatherings, and welcoming moments.  Try to get different view points. Once the fun has ended but before everyone leaves, share the media. Try all of these tips to help you capture and celebrate the holidays in a more creative way. Happy Holidays!